My 16yoa son and I went down to our lease for the opener. First morning we heard 7 birds on the roost but none of them wanted to play. Moved on a very local bird later that morning but could only get three jakes and two hens to come in. Did have a coyote come in on the first set up and was going to let my son shoot him, but the dog saw Mitchell moving into position and didnt hang around long after that. Mitchell went back to camp to study and I stayed out for an hour more then went back to camp for lunch. We then decided to head back out for the afternoon into a valley as the wind had really picked up. We got set up and I started calling around 3:50pm, just enough to let anything around know we were there. Around 20 minutes later we hear a bird flapping its wings. There is a large creek in the bottom of this valley. Wound up being a hen as she yelped a few times at us, but we never saw her. asked Mitchell if he ever saw her becaue I didnt. He was starting to slide down the tree to get more comfortable as he told me he didnt see her when he froze and said "there she is". I asked where and he pointed and a few seconds later I saw the turkey. But then Mitchell says, "Its a gobbler, and there is another one with him". Wound up being three although I never saw the third. They started up the hill after they crossed the creek, one strutting and spitting and drumming for all he was worth. The looker bird came in first and I rolled him. Well, the second bird couldnt make up his mind what to do and Mitchell was telling me to shoot him too!!!! Now, before you guys get the wrong idea, Mitchell was technically grounded and I was making him watch me, but my heart couldnt do this to him. He has never killed a turkey, although he did miss two last year on the same hunt. So I handed him the gun and the rest is history, he got a dandy of a bird for his first turkey. My bird was 22.04 pounds, 10.25 beard and one inch spurs. His bird was 21.14 pounds, 9.25 beard and 7/8 spurs. What a memory to not only shoot a turkey, but to double with your best hunting partner AND it was his first bird!!!!!!!!
BTW,
Rhino choke and HEVI13 #6s @ 32yds is an awesome combination
Also forgot to mention, I asked Mitchell if he heard the spitting and drumming, his reply was great. "No sir, my heart was pounding so hard thats all I could hear"
Mitchell's bird
My bird
